Locking means for a door lock



LOCKING MEANS FOR A DOOR LOCK Filed Jan. 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 4'8 nmnu lllll llll I I I I 5 7 I 4 54 lmvemom- I CARROLL V SPON ATTORNEYS April 16, 1968 c. v. SPON 3,373,292

LOCKING MEANS FOR A DOOR LOCK Filed Jan. 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet Z:

LO Ln I? 2* m =1 LL 1 INVENTOR= CAR RO'LL V. S P ON ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,378,292 LOCKING MEANS FOR A DOOR LOCK Carroll V. Spon, Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford, III., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 428,371 1 Claim. (Cl. 292-169) The present invention relates to an improvement in a door lock assembly and more particularly to a novel means and manner of positively locking the outer cam and knob against rotation and retraction of a latch bolt upon depressing or actuating a push button in the inner knob of such a lock assembly.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel locking bar and combination with an associated push plate or follower for locking the outer knob and its cam tube against turning effort and opening the door from the exterior when locked by the actuation of a push button in the inner knob whereby to assure privacy to the occupant of a room or other enclosure. When the occupant leaves the room, all that is required to release the locking means is the turning of the inner knob which automatically releases the outer cam tube and its knob for rotation.

The present invention is an improvement over the prior type of spring-biased latching bar mounted within and extending across the push button assembly for retaining the latter depressed, such as the latching member 36 in Patent No. 2,738,665, of Mar. 20, 1956, and the latching member 71 in Patent No. 2,829,913, of Apr. 8, 1958, in each of which patents this latching member is mounted in the stem or bushing of the push button and its end adapted to be received in a slot in the encompassing sleeve on which the inner knob is mounted and rotatable therewith.

In the present novel embodiment, the latching member of the prior patents is eliminated and the locking bar or rod and the push plate or follower for actuating the latch bolt are so constructed and arranged that when the push button is depressed, the locking bar is moved to and retained in locked position by interengagement with the push plate or follower and thereby preventing turning of the outer knob and its cam tubeuntil the inner knob and its cam are rotated to release position and the springloaded push plate is pivoted and released from its interlocking engagement .with the locking bar.

In the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, the spring-biased locking bar is provided with a tooth adapted to be aligned with and cammed into an opening in the spring-loaded push plate when the latter is depressed to effect positive locking of the locking bar and the door from the interior of a room upon closing the door and depressing a push button in the inner knob to assure privacy. When the inner knob is rotated to cam or pivot the push plate, the locking bar is released and spring-biased to inoperative position.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efiiciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently posessed thereby.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a door lock assembly with the latch bolt unit disconnected from the assembly and the inner knob and the inner escutcheon removed to disclose the split sleeve on which the inner knob is mounted.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in horizontal cross section taken longitudinally through the completely assembled lock construction and showing the manner in which the latch bolt unit is mounted in the open face of the housing of the assembly.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the housing, the outer cam tube upon which the outer knob is mounted, and the inner sleeve for mounting the inner knob and the assembled push button.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in vertical cross section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a view in rear elevation of the push plate or follower.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a novel slidable locking bar or rod actuated by a push button for locking the outer knob and its cam against turning and retraction of the latch bolt.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the push plate of FIG. 5.

The present lock assembly is of the type particularly adapted for use with a door for a bathroom, bedroom or other room where privacy is desired and includes an outer knob and cam tube adapted to be locked from the interior of the room by depressing a push button in the inner knob. When the push button is depressed upon closing the door, as when a person entering the room desires privacy, the outer knob is locked against turning although the inner knob may be freely turned to retract a latch bolt and permit opening of the door from the interior. This turning of the inner knob automatically releases the push button and the locking means so that the door may then be freely opened either from the interior or exterior by turning of either knob to retract the latch bolt.

The present lock assembly includes an outer knob 10 mounted at the exterior of a door 11 upon the outer end of a split cam tube 12, and an inner knob 13 mounted upon a split sleeve 14. The cam tube '12 is split longitudinally to provide an elongated slot 15 adapted to receive a detent 16 on the neck 17 of the outer knob for aligning and permitting ready sliding assembly of the outer knob 10 on the cam tube. This knob upon assembly may then be staked or anchored to the cam tube 12 at 18 or removably attached thereto in the same manner as the inner knob 13.

The inner knob 13 is detachably mounted on the split sleeve 14 also by means of a detent 19 conformably received in a longitudinal slot 21 in the sleeve 14 and the inner knob held in place by a spring-pressed knob holder 22, the projecting end of which extends through a transverse slot 23 in the sleeve '14. The knob holder 22 is spring-biased at one end of a leaf spring 24 to its extended anchoring position in a transverse slot 25 in the neck 26 of the inner knob 13, whereby the inner knob is detachably locked to and rotates the sleeve 14.

An inner concentrictube 27 is mounted within and encompassed by the sleeve 14 and extends through a substantial portion of the length of the cam tube 12 and the sleeve 14, the outer end of the sleeve 14 terminating adjacent the inner end of the cam tube, and the inner tube 27 is secured to the sleeve 14 by oppositely located and spaced tongues 28 bent inwardly from the body of the sleeve and depressed into longitudinally extending slots 29 in the inner tube 27.

The assembled cam tube 12, inner concentric tube 27 and sleeve 14 are assembled in a stationary housing 31 (FIGS. 2 and 3) mounted in a conforming bore or opening 32 in the door 11. The cam tube 12 at its outer end is provided with diametrically arranged slots 33 and intermediate its length with outwardly extending projections 34 providing spaced stops for locating the cam tube 12 in the housing 31. Adjacent its inner end the cam tube 12 is slotted to provide an indentation 35 depressed into a circumferential slot 36 in the inner tube 27 whereby these tubes 12 and 27 are connected together but permitted limited rotation therebetween so that the outer knob and its cam tube 12, and the inner tube 27, the sleeve 14 and the inner knob 13 may be separately rotated through an arc of travel suflicient to retract a latch bolt 37.

The cam tube 12 is deeply slotted or cut away and notched at 38 to provide spaced longitudinally extending camming edges 39 and to receive and permit limited rotation about a locking bar 41. The inner tube 27 is also slotted or cut away at 42 to pxovide spaced longitudinally extending camming edges 43 with the slots 38 and 42 aligned to align the camming edges 39 and 43 within the housing 31.

The outer end of the inner tube 27 is provided with inwardly bent spaced flanges or projections 44 to partially colse the end within the outer knob and in the adjacent end of the inner tube are received in sequence a coil spring 45, a guide washer 46 and the inner end of the slidable locking bar 41. This locking bar is provided at 4 its inner end where it projects into the slot 42 of the inner tube 27 and into the housing 31, with a laterally projecting leg 47 having spaced longitudinal projections 48 and 49, the projection 48 extending into a central opening in the guide washer 46 for centering the inner or adjacent end of the locking bar 41.

The projection 49 and adjacent portion of the leg 47 are adapted to project into a slot 51 in the end plate or end wall 52 and its externally threaded hub 53 of the housing 31. Intermediate its length the leg 47 is received within the longitudinal slot of the cam tube 12 when the locking bar 41 is moved to its locked position against the compression spring 45. When the locking bar is released and spring-biased toward the inner knob 13, this leg 47 moves out of the slot 15 of the cam tube 12, permitting this cam tube and the outer knob 10 to be rotated to release the latch bolt 37.

An edge of the locking bar is provided with a tooth 54 having one edge inclined with this tooth adapted to be received in a rectangular recess or slot 55 in a floating push plate or follower 56 for retracting the latch bolt 37, the latter being spring-actuated to latching position.

The other end 57 of the locking bar 41 is notched to receive a washer 58 and to which is stacked or anchored the closed end of a bushing 59 receiving an encompassing push button 61 of a push button assembly longitudinally x movable in a conforming opening in the inner knob 13.

The housing 31 is provided with the end plate 42 and at the other end with an end plate 62 having an externally smooth hub 63, the projecting hubs 53 and 63 of these end plates providing spaced internal bearings for receiving and journalling the cam tube 12 within the housing. The substantially cylindrical or annular portion 64 of the housing is rigidly anchored to the end plates, with a portion of the housing cut away to provide a front opening defined by opposed inturned flanges 65 and 66 each having a projection 67. This annular portion 64 also has a pair of opposed inturned flanges 68 bent inwardly to project into the housing and each forming a fulcrum about which the push plate or follower 56 is adapted to rock or pivot when actuated by turning of a free knob 10 or 13 through its connected tube.

This push plate or follower 56 has a flat outer surface 69 maintained in contact with a spring-biased pusher or slide member 71 projecting rearwardly from the inner end 72 of a stationary latch bolt housing 73 carrying at its outer end the spring-biased latch bolt 37. When the follower is rocked it depresses the slide member 71 and through retracting mechanism in the bolt housing 73 retracts the latch bolt 37.

As shown in FIG. 5, the push plate or follower 56 varies in width at its opposite ends with the end 74 of greatest width having oppositely inturned or overlapping flanges 75, and the narrow end 76 also having oppositely inturned flanges 77, the flanges 75 and 77 being dispo ed at; the rear thereof and contacted by the camming edges Car 39 and 43 on the cam tube 12 and the inner tube 27, respectively. The outer ends of the flanges provide enclosures each receiving and anchoring an end 78 of a coil spring 79 mounted in the housing 31, with the ends 78 spring-biasing the floating push plate 56 to its neutral or inoperative position shown in FIG. 4, in which the flanges 75 lie in contact with the inturned flanges 68 of the housing 31. As either of these flanges 68 forms a fulcrum point for rocking movement of the push plate 56, rotation of a free knob in either direction will rock its cam tube and the push plate to retract the latch bolt 37.

The narrow end 76 of the floating push plate or follower 56 is inclined to provide a camming surface 80 over which the inclined tooth 54 of the locking bar 41 rides as the bar is moved longitudinally inwardly by the push button 61, whereby the tooth 54 riding thereover depresses the push plate 56 until the tooth 54 is aligned with and drops into the recess 55, thereby detachably locking these parts together.

In the present novel assembly, the stationary latch bolt housing 73 has the inner reduced end 81 provided with opposed notches 82 each adapted to slidably receive a projection 67 at the open front of the housing 31 to d tachably mount the latch bolt assembly in operative position onto the housing.

To securely mount the housing 31 within the bore 32 in the door 11, an outer clamping plate 83 is threaded onto the threaded hub 53 of the outer end plate 52, and bears against the outer surface of the door. An outer escutcheon 84 is then aifixed to and encloses the clamping plate 83. An inner clamping plate 85 is slidably and adjustably mounted on the hub 63 of the end plate 62 after which the clamping plates 83 and 35 are joined by means of screws, bolts or other fastening means for securely clamping the housing 31 of the lock assembly in the door 11. An inner escutcheon 86 is thetn afl'ixed to and encloses the inner clamping plate 85.

The novel locking bar 41 which is shown in FIG. 2 in its locking position upon depressing the push button 61, moves longitudinally over the inclined or camming surface 80 and across the rear of the push plate 56 in the space between the spaced inner ends of the inturned flanges 75 and 77, with the tooth 54 of the locking bar dropping into the slot or opening 55in the springlo-aded push plate 56, thereby locking and retaining the outer cam tube 12 and its knob 10 against rotation. However, upon turning the inner knob 13 and its inner cam tube 27, the floating push plate 56 is rocked or pivoted and its opening 55 moved out of interlocking engagement with the tooth 54, thereby releasing and permitting the spring-biased locking bar 41 to disengage from the end plate 52 of the fixed housing 31 and move to its inoperative position, permitting the outer knob 10 and its connected cam assembly to be freely rotated to retract the latch bolt 37.

Having now disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. In a door lock, including an inner and an outer knob and a latch bolt, a stationary housing mounted in a door, a slotted cam tube having one end journalled in said housing and the outer knob anchored to the other end of the cam tube, a split sleeve upon which is mounted the inner knob, an inner concentric tube projecting through said sleeve and housing and into said cam tube, means for connecting said inner tube to said sleeve whereby said inner knob, sleeve and inner tube rotate together, means for connecting said inner tube to said cam tube for limited relative rotation therebetween, camming means on both said cam tube and said inner tube for retracting said latch bolt, a spring-loaded floating push plate mounted in said housing, said push plate being generally flat and extending substantially diametrically across said housing and adapted to be rocked about either of its opposite edges by rotation of either of said tubes, a springloaded and push buttonactuated locking bar slidably mounted and longitudinally movable in said inner tube and having a laterally projecting leg with a projection at the end thereof adapted to be projected into and slidable in the slot of said cam tube when said bar is moved to its inner projected position by depressing the push button and in which projected position it engages a part on the stationary housing for retaining said cam tube and its outer knob against rotation, an inclined camming surface at the end of the push plate facing said inner knob, said push plate having a central opening therein adjacent said inclined carnming surface, and a tooth formed on said locking bar intermediate the ends thereof projecting toward said push plate and adapted to be received in said opening to retain said locking bar in its inner projected position against release and retraction until said push plate is rocked by rotation of said inner knob and its associated split sleeve and inner tube, said tooth on said locking bar having an inclined cam edge facing the push plate when the locking bar is in unlocked posi- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,829,913 4/1958 North et al 292-l69 3,128,312 4/1964 Fryer 292-169 3,196,878 7/1965 Hedu 24-230 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. EDWARD C. ALLEN, Examiner.

JOHN R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DOOR LOCK, INCLUDING AN INNER AND AN OUTER KNOB AND A LATCH BOLT, A STATIONARY HOUSING MOUNTED IN A DOOR, A SLOTTED CAM TUBE HAVING ONE END JOURNALLED IN SAID HOUSING AND THE OUTER KNOB ANCHORED TO THE OTHER END OF THE CAM TUBE, A SPLIT SLEEVE UPON WHICH IS MOUNTED THE INNER KNOB, AN INNER CONCENTRIC TUBE PROJECTING THROUGH SAID SLEEVE AND HOUSING AND INTO SAID CAM TUBE, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID INNER TUBE TO SAID SLEEVE WHEREBY SAID INNER KNOB, SLEEVE AND INNER TUBE ROTATE TOGETHER, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID INNER TUBE TO SAID CAM TUBE FOR LIMITED RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN, CAMMING MEANS ON BOTH SAID CAM TUBE AND SAID INNER TUBE FOR RETRACTING SAID LATCH BOLT, A SPING-LOADED FLOATING PUSH PLATE MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, SAID PUSH PLATE BEING GENERALLY FLAT AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY ACROSS SAID HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO BE ROCKED ABOUT EITHER OF ITS OPPOSITE EDGES BY ROTATION OF EITHER OF SAID TUBES, A SPRING-LOADED AND PUSH BUTTONACTUATED LOCKING BAR SLIDABLY MOUNTED AND LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE IN SAID INNER TUBE AND HAVING A LATERALLY PROJECTING LEG WITH A PROJECTION AT THE END THEREOF ADAPTED TO BE PROJECTED INTO AND SLIDABLE IN THE SLOT OF SAID CAM TUBE WHEN SAID BAR IS MOVED TO ITS INNER PROJECTED POSITION BY DEPRESSING THE PUSH BUTTON AND IN WHICH PROJECTED POSITION IT ENGAGES A PART ON THE STATIONARY HOUSING FOR RETAINING SAID CAM TUBE AND ITS OUTER KNOB AGAINST ROTATION, AN INCLINED CAMMING SURFACE AT THE END OF THE PUSH PLATE FACING SAID INNER KNOB, SAID PUSH PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THEREIN ADJACENT SAID INCLINED CAMMING SURFACE, AND A TOOTH FORMED ON SAID LOCKING BAR INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF PROJECTING TOWARD SAID PUSH PLATE AND ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN SAID OPEING TO RETAIN SAID LOCKING BAR IN ITS INNER PROJECTED POSITION AGAINST RELEASE AND RETRACTION UNTIL SAID PUSH PLATE IS ROCKED BY ROTATION OF SAID INNER KNOB AND ITS ASSOCIATED SPLIT SLEEVE AND INNER TUBE, SAID TOOTH ON SAID LOCKING BAR HAVING AN INCLINED CAM EDGE FACING THE PUSH PLATE WHEN THE LOCKING BAR IS IN UNLOCKED POSITION AND ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH AND RIDE OVER THE INCLINED CAMMING SURFACE AND DEPRESS THE PUSH PLATE AS SAID LOCKING BAR IS MOVED LONGITUDINALLY OVER THE PUSH PLATE UNTIL SAID TOOTH IS ALIGNED WITH AND ENTERS THE OPENING IN THE PUSH PLATE FOR INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT. 